We are finally upon a new season at TCM. A little background on this-like most TV shows runs their seasons from September to May. TCM sort of unofficially has a season that runs from March to January. Then the channel has a month-long “season finale” with their 31 Days of Oscar festival. Until recently, new seasons of The Essentials started in early March. The 31 Days of Oscar festival seeps into the first two or three days in March, depending on Leap Year, since the Oscars moved back their ceremony into February.

Now, let’s get on with the show!

Noir Alley (Every Sunday morning)

The “Czar of Noir” Eddie Muller hosts a new series featuring some of the best film noirs Hollywood ever produced. Noir Alley is probably a spin-off of TCM successful festival Summer of Darkness which Muller hosted in the summer of 2015. Here’s a link to the schedule. Every movie will start at 10am/9 central on Sundays. Sunday, March 5 will start with what film fans consider the first true noir, 1941’s The Maltese Falcon.

Star of the Month Richard Burton (March 6-March 10)

This month’s SOTM festival lasts only a week, which happens once every few years. Watch 21 of the British actor’s films including 2 TCM premieres.

The Nitrate Picture Show (March 13)

The Nitrate Picture Show is a film festival of film conservation. Find more at the link. Two of the conservationists, Jared Case and Deborah Stoiber will present five films including the only film Carole Lombard made in color.

Guest Programmer: Michael Connelly (March 14)

The crime author presents four films which inspired him to choose this profession.

Treasures from the Disney Vault (March 16)

This installment of the series hosted by Leonard Maltin contains shorts and films which are all TCM premieres. They include 1966’s Follow Me Boys! and 1972’s Napoleon and Samantha.

St. Patrick’s Day (March 17-duh!)

TCM airs 24 hours of Irish-themed stories including The Quiet Man.

TCM Spotlight: March Malice!! (March 20-March 25)

TCM airs a 64-film festival (like a March Madness bracket) featuring some of the greatest villains of all time. Who’s the worst of them all?